Search Articles

Nurse Practitioner Salary by State – 7/12/2013

Nurse practitioner positions are expected to be stable or growing job positions in the next 10 years. With the right training and a solid job offer, the nurse practitioner field can be quite lucrative—but the numbers can also vary widely from state to state.

What Is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a highly trained registered nurse with the expert skills and knowledge to work at the top of the nursing field. Many nurse practitioners see and screen patients for general practice physicians, managing caseloads to free the doctor’s time for patients with the most serious, unusual, or complex circumstances. According to the International Council of Nurses, a nurse practitioner has achieved advanced education, specific licensing requirements, and the complex decision-making skills necessary for expanded practice.

National Nurse Practitioner Statistics

Nurse practitioners are categorized with registered nurses for most national Bureau of Labor Statistics summaries. Nationally, the median annual wage for registered nurses is $64,690. Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow drastically—by 26 percent between 2010 and 2020. Nurse practitioners will usually make more than the median wage for all registered nurses, since they tend to be more highly trained and have longer professional experience histories than most registered nurses.

The five states with the highest concentration of jobs for nurse practitioners are:

Mississippi, with a mean annual wage of $91940

Maine, with a mean annual wage of $87060

Tennessee, with a mean annual wage $of 88720

Utah, with a mean annual wage of$83,880

Massachusetts, with a mean annual wage of $102, 340

The states that pay the highest by annual mean wage are:

Alaska, with a mean annual wage of $112,090

Hawaii, with a mean annual wage of $104,690

Oregon, with a mean annual wage of $103,280

Massachusetts, with a mean annual wage of $102,340

New Jersey, with a mean annual wage of $101,030

Massachusetts ranks on all three Top 5 lists and may be one of the best places for job seekers in the nurse practitioner field in coming years.

Salary By State

SalaryByState.org has assembled average salaries for nurse practitioners by state (including U.S. territories) that take into account current job descriptions. These averages, as of 2013, include:

Alabama: $99,000; 2 percent higher than the national average.

Alaska: $82,000; 16 percent lower than the national average.

American Samoa: $105,000; 8 percent higher.

Arizona: $85,000; 12 percent lower.

Arkansas: $96,000; 1 percent lower.

California: $107,000; 10 percent higher.

Colorado: $85,000; 12 percent lower.

Connecticut: $105,000; 8 percent higher.

Delaware: $90,000; 7 percent lower.

Florida: $92,000; 5 percent lower.

Georgia: $106,000; 9 percent higher.

Guam: $82,000; 16 percent lower.

Hawaii: $69,000; 29 percent lower than average. (Note: the highly accurate Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks Hawaii as one of the highest-paying states, so this number may be affected by an outlying, low-paying job that drops the overall average on SalaryByState’s calculations.)

Idaho: $80,000; 17 percent lower than average.

Illinois: $102,000; 5 percent higher than average.

Indiana: $97,000; right at the national average.

Iowa: $91,000; 7 percent lower than average.

Kansas: $88,000; 9 percent lower than average.

Kentucky: $85,000; 13 percent lower than average.

Louisiana: $81,000; 16 percent lower.

Maine: $87,000; 11 percent lower.

Maryland: $98,000; approximately the same as the national average.

Massachusetts: $111,000; 14 percent higher than the national average.

Michigan: $95,000; 3 percent lower than average.

Minnesota: $88,000; 10 percent lower than average.

Mississippi: $113,000; 16 percent higher than average.

Missouri: $96,000; 1 percent lower than average.

Montana: $99,000; 1 percent higher.

Nebraska: $78,000; 19 percent lower.

Nevada: $90,000; 8 percent lower.

New Hampshire: $96,000; 2 percent lower.

New Jersey: $103,000; 6 percent higher than the national average.

New Mexico: $87,000; 10 percent lower.

New York: $114,000; 17 percent higher.

North Carolina: $96,000; 1 percent lower.

North Dakota: $91,000; 6 percent lower.

Ohio: $92,000; 6 percent lower than average.

Oklahoma: $89,000; 9 percent lower.

Oregon: $91,000; 6 percent lower.

Pennsylvania: $86,000; 12 percent lower.

Puerto Rico: $99,000; 1 percent higher than the U.S. average.

Rhode Island: $97,000; about the same as the national average.

South Carolina: $88,000; 10 percent lower.

South Dakota: $76,000; 22 percent lower.

Tennessee: $92,000; 6 percent lower.

Texas: $92,000; 6 percent lower.

Utah: $85,000; 12 percent lower.

Vermont: $91,000; 6 percent lower.

Virgin Islands: $112,000; 15 percent higher.

Virginia: $97,000; approximately the same as the national average nurse practitioner’s salary.

Washington: $111,000; 14 percent higher than the national average.

Washington, D.C.: $92,000; 5 percent lower.

West Virginia: $96,000; 1 percent lower.

Wisconsin: $85,000; 12 percent lower.

Wyoming: $89,000; 8 percent lower.

Nurse practitioners are some of the most sought-after and highly paid registered nurses in the medical profession. As a nurse practitioner seeking a new position, remember to consider cost of living as you assess each state’s pay scale. A nurse practitioner’s salary of $92,000 may go farther in Tennessee than $112,000 does in the Virgin Islands. Factor in cost of food, housing, and lifestyle as you make your choices when applying for new positions.